Pottery Barn Inspired...A Frenchy Beach Postcard Pillow

I’m at it again…making another pillow! I wanted something summery and vintage French, but not too cutesy…a pretty tall order when it comes to summer decor!


But when I saw these vintage postcard pillow covers at Pottery Barn, I knew I had found my inspiration!

I had to make a few adjustments for it to work for me. First, I knew I would be using a rectangular shaped pillow because lumbar pillows just don’t work at my house for some reason.

And I knew I wanted to use the new craft scissors feature at Picmonkey. Sooo…when I found this fabulous painting by Édouard Manet…Sur la plage de Boulogne…I knew what I would do!  I simply added my frame, printed the painting on iron-on transfer paper and followed the directions to apply it to a scrap of white cotton duck fabric.

Then I used a vintage French postcard graphic to create the back of the card with the same process. Mine came from Graphique so I can’t share it with you. I liked mine because the postage mark came from the Meurthe et Moselle region where I lived. But I did find this one at The Graphics Fairy that you can use for free! I tweaked the message a little so that it fits with summer. And…I’ve already made both graphics backwards for the transfer.

Once both transfers were ironed on to the fabric, I simply cut them out and stitched them to my pillow cover one at a time. Their cover is linen, but I used Osnaburg for mine…a much cheaper and more user-friendly linen look-alike. I used an envelope closure (tutorial here) since I need to reuse my pillow forms due to storage issues! I’m loving the way it looks…just the perfect amount of summer and frenchiness without being cutesy! And…it was free since I already had everything! Woo hoo!
NOTE: For a no-sew version of the cover, use a purchased pillow cover like the one found here at Hobby Lobby. However, the postcards will still need to be stitched.

Oooh noo!…Miss Kitty seems to have decided to mail herself to the beach since we are in a beachy mood and our trip is nowhere in sight! I’d better get out the sand box and the wading pool so the staff and I can have a little mini vacation! Are you feeling the need for a little beach trip, too?

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my vintage French beach postcard pillow! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
 Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday (first Monday of the month)
Mary at Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Beth at The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Anita at Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up on Tuesdays
Kristin at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Judy at DIY by Design for Sizzle into Summer
Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Sherry at No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Honey at 2805 for Potpourri Friday
Heather and Vanessa at At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Amanda at Serenity Now for the Weekend Bloggy Reading party 
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!